E. coli: First death in England linked to ongoing outbreak of bacteria

One person in England has died linked to the ongoing E.coli outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency has said.

In a statement, the UKHSA confirmed that one person with an “underlying medical condition” had died in May after contracting the disease.

The news comes weeks after several food manufacturers were forced to recall sandwiches, wraps and salads in major supermarkets over fears they are linked to an outbreak of the infection.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said lettuce used in the products are thought to be the likely source of the outbreak.

Health officials said on Thursday that a further 19 cases of E.coli had been reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 275 in the UK.

All confirmed cases began experiencing symptoms before June 4, the UKHSA said.

All the cases recorded in the outbreak involve Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O145 (Stec), which is associated with severe disease.

Further cases are expected to be added to the total as more samples are analysed in laboratories, they added.

Around half (49 per cent) of all cases have required hospitalisation.

Health officials said on Thursday that a further 19 cases of E.coli had been reported in the UK (PA Media)

Amy Douglas, Incident Director at UKHSA, said: “We’re pleased that fewer cases have been reported, however we still expect to see a few more cases linked to this outbreak as further samples are referred to us for testing.

“Symptoms of infections with STEC include severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever. While diarrhoea and vomiting can have a range of causes, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk and the risk of infecting others.”

She advised anyone with E.coli to wash their hands with soap and warm water and use disinfectants to prevent the spread of infection.

“If you are unwell, you should not prepare food for others while unwell and avoid visiting people in hospitals or care homes to avoid passing on the infection in these settings. Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped,” she added.

Symptoms of E.coli typically include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody.

Many patients may also have a fever.

Darren Whitby, Head of Incidents at the FSA said: “Earlier this month, we confirmed that several sandwich manufacturers had taken precautionary action to withdraw and recall various sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls after food chain and epidemiological links enabled us to narrow down a wide range of foods to a type of lettuce used in sandwich products as the likely cause of the outbreak.

“This remains a complex investigation and we continue to work with the relevant businesses and the local authorities to ensure necessary steps are being taken to protect consumers. Although we are confident in the likely source of the outbreak being linked to lettuce, work continues to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak with the growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence.

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